Scared - Advice Please

[SheilaF]

Hi Everyone,

I have posted a few times and always found your advice invaluable. Perhaps you can help with this one.
We are planning on spending the summer in Orlando - 11 weeks from June to September. Like many others our dream is to settle in Florida. An important piece of advice given to us was to 'try it out' first before starting or should i say attempting to start the immigration process, we may not even make it but we should at least give it a try.
So we decided to spend the summer there, we figure if we can stand the summer heat we can stand anything (have been to Florida on several occasions many times during the summer).
My worry is (and its near hysteria after reading the Daily Telegraph today), when we present ourselves at Immigration state side, we could get someone on an off day who doesn't want to let us stay for three months for whatever reason he chooses and thats the end of our plans.
Do u have any 'tips' to help us get through. We have never had any problems before, but i wonder how they are with tourists wanting to stay 3 months? Obviously we will have an address to show them, but i am concerned that our entire summer lies in the hand of one man (or woman) on the day.
Thanks for listening
SheilaF

[benfilo]

hi Sheila
Why not apply for a visa or at least contact the american consulate here before you go.I'm assuming you have return tickets. One thing though I wouldn't take all your belongings such as birth, marriage and qualification certs etc or htey may assume you are going to stay and kick you out.
good luck
benfilo

[wilfy]

Sheila,
be honest and friendly and you shouldn't have any difficulty. I think you'll breeze through.

[fiona]

Do just say you are going for a vacation, I wouldn't recommend you mention your long term plans as they may think you might stay on illegally. Otherwise be polite, pleasant and friendly and we have never had any problems.

[blott]

Even if you have any sort of visa, you can still be refused entry if the INS person at the airport doesn't like the look of you!

All I've ever been asked on a visa waiver is when I'm returning to the UK - as long as you give a date within the allowed 90 days, you should be fine.

[Carla]

If you have a return ticket that gets you home before the 90 days are up, then you should be fine. If you are on an E-ticket, make sure that they print you the return half at the UK airport. Snowbirds stay for 90 and 180 days (on a B2 visa) in the Winter all the time. As Fiona says, don't mention any plans to live in the US whatsoever. You are on vacation and lucky enough to be able to stay for 90 days.

It might help if you took a letter from your employer explaining that you are on extended vacation, just in case. I also used to take evidence that I was paying a mortgage in the UK too.
If you are already retired, then they won't be surprised that you can stay for 90 days.

Have a great Summer. Wish I could do that.

[adh619]

Sheila, Fiona is right - the most unhelpful INS people we have come across (and we do the US 2-3 times per year) are in New York (even b4 9/11) Just smile be polite you will be ok. My sister even got on without the correct time left on her passport - after a big smile and a brummir joke !!!

Tony & Gerry

[Carla]

I'd definitely agree with your New York statement. The guy I encountered at Newark is the main reason that I now have a B1/B2 visa! I was passing through, last July, on my way to Albany to see friends for a few days, and I thought that he was going to refuse me entry. I'd been in the USA 3 times already in 2003 (never for more than 11 days at a time) and he wasn't a happy bunny. I did get in though.

[SheilaF]

Thanks to everyone for their sound advice. I have always been polite and nice and dare i say it on here, reasonably smart. That sounds awful i know but does it matter? I wont mention long term plans, my hubby is retired and i am presently not working so that shouldn't pose a problem. I will make sure i get the 2nd half of our ticket, we do have a fixed return date (boo-hoo).

We have booked to return within a week of the 90 days so we have a couple of days leeway should anything arise, delayed flights etc

I am so excited i can barely contain myself. The thought of the entire summer in fabulous Orlando is bliss. As we are planning to take a short trip to NY I will remember the advice and smile extra sweetly !!!!
Thanks again
SheilaF

[Michelle]

Even if you have any sort of visa, you can still be refused entry if the INS person at the airport doesn't like the look of you!

<span style="color:blue">Yes Blotti you are spot on there, when we went for our B2 6 months visitors visas,( which we have now reveived) a couple of weeks ago, the INS officer made a point of saying, " Even though we have granted you a visa which allows us 6 months vacation stay,in any one year, that when we arrive in USA the INS office can if he is not completely satisfied that we have enough information on us to show we have definate ties and that we intend going back our own Country, that, they can still refuse you entry, or shorten your stay.</span id="blue">